


A Sweet Escape

by caelestislux



Series: Evillustrator and Reverser One-Shots [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Akuma Attack, Akuma Battle, Akumatized Marc Anciel, Akumatized Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Banter, Declarations Of Love, Dorks in Love, Episode: s01 Le Dessinateur | The Evillustrator, Episode: s02 Reverser, Evillustrator - Freeform, Fluff and Angst, Ice Cream, Light Angst, M/M, Teenage Dorks, reverser - Freeform, they're akumatized the whole time okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:06:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25124386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caelestislux/pseuds/caelestislux
Summary: Another day where a host of akumas are sent out to transform citizens back into Hawkmoth's loyal minions. Except not all the akumas choose to stay at the battle and fight for evil. Some have their own desires they want to fulfill.And for two of them, that means sneaking off and going on an impromptu date.
Relationships: Inverso | Reverser/Le Dessinateur | The Evillustrator, Marc Anciel & Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Marc Anciel/Nathaniel Kurtzberg
Series: Evillustrator and Reverser One-Shots [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1839367
Comments: 14
Kudos: 77
Collections: MarcNath Fics!





	A Sweet Escape

**Author's Note:**

> I . . . have no idea what I'm doing.
> 
> But I love the thought of Marcaniel but villains and really wanted to write something with Evillustrator and Reverser, probably my two favorite akumas. Thus, this came into existence.
> 
> Also for those wondering about context, I didn't have a specific episode in mind or anything.

Despite the city currently being thrown into chaos, not every akuma was revelling in it. A select few abandoned Hawkmoth, hoping to god that he wouldn’t notice a couple missing, and went about their merry way, getting revenge, creating chaos, and just generally doing as they pleased. Or, in some cases . . . 

“You want . . . what?” 

For once, Andre the ice cream man faltered in both his rhymes and his pleasant, upbeat demeanor. He eyed the two akumas with a mixture of shock and suspicion. No other akumas had come down his path, which was of course a risk when staying and protecting the ice cream cart, but it was just his luck that two of the most powerful and intimidating ones would show up together.

“Ice cream, of course.” was the Evillustrator’s cool response. He cast a sideways glance to his partner, then looked back to Andre, his eyes narrowing through the black markings that surrounded them. “The couples’ kind?” 

Reverser crossed his arms. “Why else would we be here?”

And neither could pinpoint it, but Andre must’ve remembered something, an inkling of a memory that involved giving their civilian counterparts ice cream so long ago, Marc and Nathaniel giggling and comparing the flavors to each other’s attributes. And now they were twisted and formed into something evil, true, but the love that blossomed between the two of them remained as steadfast as the little pieces of the comic book team that could still be picked out among their villainous characteristics. 

“Ah yes, of course!” And without his trademark speech about what the flavors represented, Andre quickly scooped some flavors of ice cream into cones, adding the proper toppings. The villains took the cones wordlessly, though not without a small smile from Evillustrator. Not exactly a friendly smile. More of a “tell-Hawkmoth-and-I’ll-kill-you” slasher-esque smile. And he would fulfill that promise. 

Reverser cast a glance backwards as they walked away, down the bridge and towards the center of the city. That was where the majority of the akumas were, but none of them had noticed the two of them leaving, nor did they notice now. “Huh, polite. I wonder why he never got reakumatized.”

“He’s not afraid of us. So he wouldn’t be afraid of anything.” 

“You act like you’re terrifying.” Reverser scoffed. “Whereas I know for a fact that you’d do anything for whoever you love. And before you ask, my source is both your first akumatization and my personal experience.”

Ignoring this, Evillustrator took a spoonful of the ice cream cone he’d been given. Now that they were away from any civilians, the desire to attack and stay akumatized was gone, replaced by more of his own personal desires. One of them being his desire to remain by his boyfriend. “Aw this _does_ look like you. Well, your aesthetic. Cookies and cream with one of those black-and-white cookies.” 

And upon closer examination of his partner’s ice cream, it definitely matched his own aesthetic. It seemed like the strawberry, lemon, and blue raspberry were intended to represent his insignia, the RYB color model, while the purple sprinkles were for his beret and skin tone. But he was the one who tended to recognize the color palettes, being an artist and all. He didn’t expect Reverser to pick up on the same hints.

“Well, mine is far more colorful. And looks like you, too.”

So he _had_ noticed. 

“That’s because you love me.” Evillustrator teased, stepping forward and twirling around so he and Reverser faced each other. He continued to walk backwards as the other walked forward, not even bothering to be cautious despite being unable to see where he was going. His status as an akuma protected him from most injuries, anyway, and seeing Reverser’s flustered expression was more interesting than his own safety. “You absolutely _love_ me. And . . . now you’re blushing.”

“No, I’m not!”

But he was, with both the black and white sides of his face turning a light shade of gray. His lips pursed in frustration, but the juxtaposition between this reaction and the small smile that could be seen in his eyes was enough. Enough to show his true, painfully strong attachment to the other akuma. Reverser was clever, one of the most clever akumas that had tried and failed to capture the miraculouses, and he tended to bring some of that shrewdness whenever he was reakumatized, which wasn’t too often. But that facade cracked and burned when he was around either Nathaniel or Evillustrator, the very person who he hyperfocused on during his first akumatization. 

“Fine.” Reverser stopped walking, causing the other to stop as well and making total eye contact. “If I admit I was blushing at your attempt of romance, will you kiss me?”

“How come _you_ can’t kiss _me?_ ” 

But Evillustrator didn’t even wait for an answer to his question, nor did he wait for the agreed-upon other end of the deal. Instead he immediately leaned forward, clutching his boyfriend by the shoulders, and brought their lips together. No one paid attention to them. Nobody was there to do so. Not even Hawkmoth paid attention to break the silence. The world was currently falling to pieces and they were absolutely alone in their small moment of intimacy. 

“Tasted like that lemon ice cream.” Evillustrator announced as they broke apart, still holding onto one another. “Hurry up and finish before it’s all melted. I’d probably scream if I saw a single drop of color on you.”

“Mmm, you’re _hilarious_. I’m getting my hoverboard.”

“I’ll jump on if you do.”

“You wouldn’t dare. I’d drop you like a rock.” he teased, both knowing full well that he wouldn’t. 

“Paper beats rock, and you’re the paper, Monsieur Origami.” Evillustrator placed a hand on his hip, knowing full well that he’d shut down any of his boyfriend’s quips with that one response. Not that it was remotely clever, just that Reverser didn’t want to deal with his odd comments. And that was fair; he was an odd akuma, being so focused on romance over revenge. But even so, he added, “So, does that mean you would win in a fight between us?” 

“Paper airplanes are not origami. And I wouldn’t fight you.” As if to accentuate his point, a paper airplane formed in his free hand. But he just tossed it out to the water, much like if he were to try skipping stones. He wasn't exactly in the mood to reverse anyone at the moment given their distance from the actual battle.

“I know. Because you _love_ me.” And thus the teasing continued.

“Because fighting against my close ally would be detrimental.”

“Uh-huh. You’re _obsessed_ with me, always have been since the first time you were akumatized. Which—”

His words were cut off by a quick kiss pressed to his cheek, then a gloved hand seizing his own. A small smile formed on his lips. He’d broken him down again, not that it was hard. As much as Reverser tried, he was never properly able to hide his absolute adoration for both Nathaniel Kurtzberg and the Evillustrator. Not that it wasn’t true the other way around, with Evillustrator having had a plan in place to take Marc Anciel on the date of his dreams should the opportunity present itself. But for now, the love of his life was right here—as Reverser. 

“Don’t be weird; I’m not obsessed with you, I’m just dating you. Besides, if we actually were to fight, I’d win. Not because I’m stronger or anything, as I’m quite literally made of paper, but because you’re half a head shorter than I am.” 

He faked a gasp. “Take that back.”

“No. You’re so dramatic.” Reverser glanced backwards, only to be met with the sight of both a new swarm of butterflies and the heroes’ arrival to the scene. Any closer and Hawkmoth would probably notice their absence from the fight, and who knows what that would cause him to do? “This is becoming a crime scene in the making. Should we get out of here?”

Evillustrator turned with a sly smile. “Only if you give me a lift.”

Despite his earlier threat to throw his boyfriend off his hoverboard, this request was met with only a resigned, “That’s fair.”

They continued their walk forward until they reached the point where Reverser had his hoverboard parked. He stepped on, one leg on either side of the black-and-white divide, and Evillustrator jumped onto the back. He wrapped his arms around Reverser’s neck, peering around his hood in order to see where they were going. 

“You’re lucky that I like you.” Reverser called backwards, his voice flung into the wind. “You’re cutting off my breathing, and if you were literally anyone else, I would drop you or reverse you or something.”

“You already said you’d drop me, but you wouldn’t.” Evillustrator reminded him, the sly smile returning. He shivered slightly in the wind, causing him to cling to Reverser’s back a little more. His suit wasn’t exactly the warmest. “And I know you’ve wanted to reverse me before, too.”

“I was mad at you—Nathaniel, anyway—when I was going to reverse you. And are you cold, _Monsieur Artisté?_ I don’t mind, but you know, Hawkmoth gave you the most limitless power possible. You can draw yourself a blanket or coat or _literally anything_.”

Before the Evillustrator could reply, a butterfly outline appeared over both of their faces. “ _He’s right, Evillustrator. I have let the two of you alone for far too long. You are two of my most powerful akumas, and instead of fighting for me, you gallivant around like lovebirds. I need your assistance, and as soon as possible.”_

Speak of the devil.

“Why? You’re winning anyway.” Reverser said, the eyeroll obvious in his voice. “Can I not spend quality time with my boyfriend?” Invisible venom seemed to drip from his words. “I thought you _wanted_ me to go after Nathaniel the first time I was akumatized.”

He was nothing if not bold, challenging the very person who brought his powers and personality into existence in the first place. Bold or stupid, anyway.

“And you let me go on a date with the person I loved. Why can’t I do the same now?” Evillustrator added, holding Reverser a little more tightly. If they were to become de-akumatized out of Hawkmoth’s anger, the hoverboard would become a journal again and they’d both plummet to the ground. And he didn’t want to let go, even if they were to fall. He would cling to Reverser, then Marc, until the day he died. 

Both akumas could hear a faint sigh. Then, _“I want you two to join the fight immediately. Or else I will not hesitate to use force, and believe me, you’d rather I didn’t.”_ The butterfly masks faded away, replaced by the feeling of resignation at not having “won” in the pseudo-argument.

The light and cheery air that the two of them had shared before was completely gone. Before, they could behave like two kids in love who snuck away from their parents, joking and kissing and doing as they pleased. But now they were left with a task, one that they’d be forced into whether they wanted to or not. The feeling of freedom—of escaping—completely gone. So now no teasing or lighthearted quips passed between them, just silence.

Reverser brought his hoverboard to the ground not too far from the fighting akumas and heroes, letting his partner hop off the back. He remained on the hoverboard since it was his akumatized object and very near and dear to him, but he was mere centimeters off the ground. The risk of being de-akumatized was still there, and it was too much to hope for the best.

“So, what now?” Evillustrator asked, placing the hand that wasn’t currently holding a pen on his hip. “We head over to the fight? I’m itching to practice my tactile drawing skills.” Not that he needed it. If he so desired, he could take out as many as he pleased with his spinning blades. 

“Save it for art school. I’m sick of doing what Hawkmoth wants.”

“Well, it’s either we do what he wants or we get de-akumatized. Or worse, controlled by him. That didn’t happen to you, did it? He took control of my arm while I was drawing and god—” he shuddered, remembering. “—that was awful. I’d hate to see what he would do to you, especially now that he knows our devotion to each other.”

Reverser nodded dejectedly. He hated the feeling of being wrong, but if his all-powerful boyfriend was afraid of something, then it was probably worth being afraid over. “Okay, I see your point. I don’t want him to do anything to either of us. But first, before we go—”

Before the Evillustrator could ask what he was going to say, the other akuma cupped his face in his hands and brought the two of them together once again. Their lips met, both sensing the other’s smile as they did so. Reverser ran his fingers through Evillustrator’s messy hair just as the latter took the former’s gloved hand in his own and squeezed gently. 

They’d shared moments like this multiple times before; at this point it was just a natural instinct to want to be together due to how close they were as civilians. But this time was different, not just in that it was Reverser who initiated the intimacy for once, but that this time, it seemed like a kiss for luck and for well-wishing, the type given just before going off to war. The truth was, both seemed to know that this was probably a battle that would lead to de-akumatization, meaning this was the last time they’d probably be together for a while. In these forms, anyway.

“Thanks for that.” Evillustrator was the first to speak, his words breathless. He was still slightly dazed from all that had happened in the past few minutes. “Now, we have to go before Hawkmoth decides to act upon his threats. I for one enjoy having control over my own drawing arm, and I’d rather not let that get taken away willingly.”

Reverser pressed his lips together, staring out onto the horizon. He didn’t respond at first, though worry was clear in his eyes.

At his momentary pause, Evillustrator continued, “I know it means we might not see each other like this for a while. But it’s probably not forever. And if it is? I’ll still love you, even if you’re Marc and I’m Nathaniel. You know that, don’t you? We’ll still be writing our comic even if the heroes win. And if they don’t? I’ll be with you as the world ends.”

Their gaze met, deep aqua eyes meeting black and white ones. So much that needed to be said with no time to say it. Two people that were thrust into a fight that didn’t want to be involved, only wanting to love someone and be loved. But they were left with no choice. Nothing else left to do. Only the promise of each other as a constant, no matter what.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Reverser clenched his hand even tighter. He narrowed his eyes, which seemed to snap him back into reality. “Now let’s go.”

**Author's Note:**

> Since we've never gotten to see the two of them together in canon, this is more my interpretation of how they'd behave around one another. Both were pretty serious villains, but had a weakness for love, which here led to them having a weakness for each other. Though Evillustrator is more obviously a dork around the person he loves (like when he dramatically got on one knee for Marinette in his episode) and I feel that that would be accentuated by actually dating that person, whereas Reverser is a bit more subtle.


End file.
